GOD created the whole universe with its myriad of stars and keeps them in their trackless orbits across space without collision. Yet He is not too busy to consider the needs of any individual who comes to Him in prayer. He has revealed Himself through the book of nature where He appeals to the perceptive mind to marvel at His handiwork.

God does not throw His weight around and expect us to believe in Him without evidence. If we are too dull to read the book of nature, He has revealed Himself also in the Bible. We will consider a few prophecies and how they were fulfilled.

Exhibit A: Place of His Birth

Micah 5:2: But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.

Clearly this is about the birth of Jesus Christ, over 500 years before the event. The Bible says Jesus will be born in Bethlehem, not any other Bethlehem but specifically that of Ephrathah. Just as there is Birmingham UK and Birmingham Alabama, USA, God is specific.

But we know that Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, a place of about 90 miles away. In fact they were in Nazareth until Mary was nine months pregnant. Babies come after nine months, and baby Jesus was due anytime now but they were nowhere near the prophesied place! How on earth would she get to Bethlehem and what type of man would take his wife, so pregnant, on such a trip? Remember transport was either by donkey or foot.

But watch what happened: And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child [Luke 2:1-5].

One disobeyed Caesars decree at the risk of their life. So Joseph had no choice but to saddle that donkey and head off to Bethlehem with his very pregnant wife. They had to travel slower than everybody else because of her maternity condition. By the time they arrived, all hotels were fully booked. Hence little baby Jesus was born in a manger. The word of God was fulfilled! If one were to ask Joseph why he was travelling like that, he would probably have said Caesar said so but no, it was God who had said so!

Exhibit B: City of Babylon

Isaiah 13:19-22: And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans pride, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
It will never be inhabited, nor will it be settled from generation to generation; nor will the Arabian pitch tents there, nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there. But wild beasts of the desert will lie there, and their houses will be full of owls; ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will caper there. The hyenas will howl in their citadels, and jackals in their pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, and her days will not be prolonged.

The city of Babylon was the capital of Nebuchadnezzars kingdom. It was one of the wonders of the ancient world for its beauty. One of the seven wonders of the ancient world, The Hanging Gardens, was in Babylon. It was in a country now called Iraq, 80km south of Baghdad. God had pronounced a judgement on Babylon after its inhabitants refused to do right in His sight: It will never be inhabited.

In 1979, there arose a new ruler in Iraq, his name Saddam Hussein. In no time, he began to feel almighty and likened himself to such historical figures as Nebuchadnezzar and Hammurabi; in fact he called himself the son of Nebuchadnezzar. He desired to have world dominion as Nebuchadnezzar did and sought to rebuild the ruins of ancient Babylon thus defying the sure word of the Lord.

In 1985, he started the building project with his name written on most bricks, only a little section of the city was restored and Operation Desert Storm broke out in 1991, and all plans had to be suspended indefinitely. The word of the Lord came true one more time and forever will. Human beings may think they are in control of anything but in reality they are not; there is a God in heaven who is in charge. He has the whole world in His hand.

Exhibit C: Egypt

Ezekiel 29:3: Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt,
O great monster who lies in the midst of his rivers, Who has said, My River^{is my own; I have made it for myself.}

Ezekiel 29:14-15: I will bring back the captives of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms; it shall never again exalt itself above the nations, for I will diminish them so that they will not rule over the nations anymore.

Egypt, an African country, was the USA of the ancient world. Some biblical characters sought refuge from hunger in Egypt. Even baby Jesus was a refugee there once upon a time. Technologically, some of their knowledge back then still confounds our learned folks today. People who have had a closer look at the pyramids admit the skill used there was far ahead of their time. They say the stones were cut and put together in such a manner that not even a razor blade would fit between them. Not to mention that writing originated from there. One would have hoped they maintained the momentum and led the nations, But alas, because of their sin against God it wasnt to be.

But this time God did not say that it shall not be inhabited as He did with Babylon. All He said was it shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.

When you walk in the streets its like walking in the back alley of a third world country. There is nothing to show that this was once a strong nation. So Egypt stands today a pale shadow of its former self, only as a little nation led by a military junta, not part of the G8 and with an ordinary vote in the Security Council of the UN. It has been ruled not only by Egyptians, but by Persians, Greeks, Romans, Turks, French, and British. Again the word of the Lord remains true.

What more shall we say? For time would fail us to tell of the cities of Tyre, Petra and all the other spectacular prophecies fulfilled in our time. The word of God is the only trustworthy resource of our day. We who are alive are fortunate in that we have the perspective of history to verify that the prophecies indeed came to pass. Let us study the Bible so we can find rest for our souls.